Picture-Perfect Roads

Thanks to its vast network of roads, the US is one of the easiest countries to explore by car
and you can find plenty of breathtaking locations and exciting experiences along the way
too.

Thanks to the high cost of foreign travel due to ever-increasing inflation, more and more
Americans are testing out their car subscriptions with a road trip across the country, to see some of the best sights the country has to offer.

But which US roads are the most picturesque? We’ve looked into the number of Instagram
posts and TikTok views for some of the most famous locations to find out.

1. Broadway

Picture Perfect Score: 10/10 

New York’s Broadway takes the top spot, with the iconic location scoring a perfect 10 out of 10. The street which runs the full length of Manhattan is home to New York’s theater district and with a constantly changing variety of productions, attracts millions of theater lovers from all over the world. The iconic street ranks first for both Instagram posts and TikTok views, taking it to first place.

2. Route 66

Picture Perfect Score: 9.75/10 

Next up is one of the most famous roads in the US, so it's no surprise it takes second place with a score of 9.75 out of 10. Winding across eight states from Santa Monica to Chicago, it's home to iconic landmarks and retro diners, making Route 66 perfect for the quintessential American road trip. It ranks third for both Instagram posts and TikTok views. 

3. Bourbon Street

Picture Perfect Score: 9.69/10  

This historic street in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter takes third place scoring 9.69 out of 10. One of the city’s prime tourist attractions, Bourbon Street is packed with some of the oldest restaurants and bars in New Orleans, and most venues host live music every night too, making it a perfect party destination. The street ranks third for its number of TikTok views and fifth for Instagram posts.

1. Broadway

6.6 million Instagram posts 

Manhattan’s Broadway takes the top spot for Instagram posts, with more than 6.5 million dedicated to it. The street is the heart of American theater and lends its name to the collection of 41 venues in midtown Manhattan that make up its Theater District, despite the road only being home to three. 

2. Las Vegas Strip

3.2 million Instagram posts 

Up next is The Las Vegas Strip, with more than 3.2 million Instagram posts. The Strip is the beating heart of the city, playing host to some of the world’s biggest hotels, resorts, and of course the casinos which made the city world-famous.

3. Route 66

2.1 million Instagram posts  

Taking third place is America’s most iconic road trip route, Route 66. Popularized through the song of the same name, it’s become a symbol of American freedom and still attracts people from all over the world, despite the route being broken up after it was removed from the US Highway System in 1985. The route which stretches 2,400 miles from the west coast to the western tip of Lake Michigan has more than 2 million Instagram posts dedicated to it.

1. Broadway

6.8 billion TikTok views 

The most popular road on TikTok is Broadway, the Manhattan street with 6.8 billion views on the platform. Running the full length of Manhattan from City Hall to the Bronx, Broadway is one of New York's most famous tourist attractions thanks to its many theaters which draw crowds from all over the world with their lavish performances.

2. Bourbon Street

175.3 million TikTok views 

Taking second place is Bourbon Street. Lined with iconic buildings and historic venues, Bourbon Street is one of the world’s most famous nightlife hotspots and the jewel in the crown of New Orleans. Attracting millions of tourists each year, it has over 175 million views on TikTok.

3. Route 66

171.8 million TikTok views  

Rounding off the top three is Route 66 America’s most iconic highway which has captured the imaginations of authors, writers, and musicians since its opening in the 1920s. The transcontinental route has 171.8 million TikTok views thanks to its reputation as a slice of vintage Americana.

1. Illinois

Average Picture Perfect Score: 8.27/10 

The midwestern state of Illinois takes the top spot with the highest average score, thanks to it being the starting point of the US’s most iconic road, Route 66. The state is also home to Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, its center for boutique shopping, historic hotels, and iconic architecture.    

2. Oregon

Average Picture Perfect Score: 8.19/10 

Oregon takes second place thanks to the Oregon coast highway, a stretch of Highway 101 that runs along the Pacific coast. The highway offers scenic views of its rugged coastline and quirky coastal towns to visit on a road trip that takes roughly five days. 

3. California

Average Picture Perfect Score: 7.33/10  

In third place is California, with six roads in the index giving the state an average score of 7.33 out of 10. As well as hosting a stretch of the iconic Route 66, California is home to Mulholland Drive, made famous by director David Lynch with his film of the same name, and Carroll Avenue famous for its Victorian architecture, both of which are in LA.  

1. New York

6.6 million Total Instagram posts 

Taking the top spot as the most picturesque state is New York, with more than 6.5 million posts highlighting some of its most scenic streets. These include Washington Street which offers amazing views of the Brooklyn Bridge, and New York’s most famous street, Broadway, too. 

2. Nevada

3.2 million Total Instagram posts 

Up next is Nevada, with more than 3.2 million total Instagram posts. This is all down to the Las Vegas Strip, one of the most photographed roads in the US, which attracts tourists from all over the world thanks to its famous nightlife. 

3. California

3 million Total Instagram posts  

In third place is California, totaling just over 3 million Instagram posts for roads in the state. The Pacific Coast Highway, the scenic road that hugs California’s rugged coastline for over 600 miles, is by far the most picturesque road in the state, with more than 400,000 posts dedicated to it on the platform. 

1. New York

6.8 billion Total TikTok Views 

New York State has the most popular roads on TikTok, with more than 6.8 billion views on the platform, and all three in New York City too. Broadway is the most popular of these roads, making up a whopping 6.8 billion of these views alone thanks to its reputation as the beating heart of America’s theater scene.

2. Illinois

248.3 million Total TikTok Views 

In second place is Illinois. The starting place for the world-famous Route 66 has 248 million views on TikTok, with views for Route 66 making up nearly 70% of the total. The state is helped by its total views of Highway 41 and Michigan Avenue, its most famous thoroughfare.

3. California

238.5 million Total TikTok Views  

Next up is The Golden State, home to six of America’s most viewed roads. It has a total of more than 238 million views. San Francisco’s Lombard Street is the most famous of all the state’s roads on our list. Notorious for its eight hairpin turns along a single steep city block, the street attracts more than 2 million tourists a year and has over 27 million views on the platform.

Beginning with a list of the US’s most picturesque roads taken from list articles, we analyzed each one on the following factors. We then gave each road a normalized score out of ten for each of the factors, before taking an average across each of these scores to reach our final overall score out of ten.

Instagram posts: The total number of posts hashtagged #[road] for each road according to Instagram.

TikTok views: The total number of views for posts hashtagged #[road] for each road according to TikTok. 

All data is correct as of 12/01/2022.